A fast-paced wave of music began to take hold across mainland Lagos around 2022. Driven by dance culture and social media, the sound, often called “cruise beats” spread quickly through street parties and short-form videos.
Early adopters included DJ YK Mule and DJ Cora, whose mixes leaned on sped-up rhythms, viral vocal cuts, and percussion-heavy edits built for immediate reaction. Within this growing scene, DJ Khalipha began to carve out his own direction. One of his early tracks, “Mara Pass Mara,” would later give the sound a name that stuck.
At its core, the beats followed a simple pattern. DJs layered trending phrases and familiar audio over high-BPM structures, creating loops designed for dance challenges and quick circulation online. The response was immediate. Dancers began identifying with the sound, and “Mara” quickly became part of the language around it.
Khalipha’s approach, however, began to shift away from that formula. While much of the scene focused on speed and virality, he became more interested in how the music felt and how it was arranged.
“I was looking for something people could listen to, not just dance to,” he says. “It was more about emotion. That is why I always try to blend feeling into the sound, even when it is fast and energetic.”
That shift has shaped how he now defines Mara. What started within Lagos’ street and digital dance culture has since evolved into a more structured sound, one he describes as “Street House.” The change reflects his attempt to move beyond quick viral moments toward something more lasting.
The sound has also taken him beyond Nigeria. He has performed at platforms like Nyege Nyege Festival in Uganda, sharing space with a wider mix of electronic and experimental acts and introducing Mara to new audiences.
In this conversation with The Nollywood Reporter, Khalipha reflects on how the sound has evolved, the misconceptions around it, and his plans to develop it further as it reaches new spaces.
TNR: Take me back to the beginning. Who is DJ Khalipha before the music, and how did you first get into DJing?
DJ Khalipha: DJ Khalipha is just a normal boy, an introvert who likes listening to music. I am just a random person, really. My journey into music started during my time in higher institution. I attended Kwara State Polytechnic, and I have always been someone who listens to music differently. I do not just enjoy songs the way they come. I like modifying them.
That was what pushed me into DJing. I wanted something that would allow me to manipulate music the way I imagined it. So I went on YouTube and found some apps I could use on my phone to practice. At that time, I was just doing it for fun.
One day, I was in my room practicing when my roommate, more like a brother to me, noticed what I was doing. He told me I could take it seriously. But I told him I could not afford a laptop or controller at that time. He said I should start with what I had.
There was a man near my hostel who rented out speakers, so I would go there with my phone to practice. People passing by would stop and listen. They liked my mixing and the way I blended songs. That was how I got my first gig at the Igbaja Student Senior Day in Kwara State. I had to audition, and I went there with just my phone and a small Bluetooth speaker. They were expecting a laptop, so they were surprised. I told them to request any song, and I would mix it live. I was nervous, but I did it, and they loved it.
They even gave me a name, “Tablet DJ.” After that, I kept practicing and started getting invited to play at hostel parties, especially Villa parties. At that time, I was even competing with DJs who had laptops, but people wanted me because of the difference in my style.
One thing my dad always told me is if you want to do something, do not follow the crowd. Be different. That stayed with me, and it shaped how I approached DJing. I learnt everything myself. I did not learn from anybody. I was teaching myself from YouTube and constant practice.
At what point did things begin to shift for you, from DJing for fun to creating sounds that started gaining wider attention?
At some point, I realized there were things I could not do with just my phone. So I had to save money. I was working as a teacher and also doing graphic design with my phone. With both, I was able to save enough to get a laptop.
That was when I started improving more. One day, I was just playing around on my laptop, experimenting with stems in my DJ software. I took one sound from one track and another from another, blended them, and it gave me something meaningful.
I liked it, so I recorded it and posted it on TikTok. I just called it “Ahh Beat.” I was not even thinking of producing music seriously at that time. That was during the COVID period when TikTok was really booming. After I posted it, people started using the sound and tagging me. It kept spreading.
Then I noticed some DJs were trying to use the sound like it was theirs, so I learnt about music distribution and put it on streaming platforms to secure it. The sound kept growing, especially on TikTok Live. Then, a UK company, Moves Recordings, reached out and offered me a distribution deal. They asked me to create something similar but different, and that was how I made “Ahh Beat 2.0.” I posted it again, and people started using that one too.
One afternoon, my brother called me and said Poco Lee had used my sound. At first, I thought he just danced to it, but when I checked, I saw he had recorded on it, which is now the song titled “Obinrin.” I reached out, but I did not get a reply. Later, the distribution company told me they had already given him permission.
At that point, I did not push it. I saw it as an opportunity. Poco Lee was already working with big artistes like Wizkid and Davido, so I focused on the bigger picture. The song came out and went viral on TikTok. People were using it everywhere, and I was happy that something I created was making an impact.
Later, I was invited for the music video. I travelled from school to Lagos for the shoot. I did a few scenes and I was hopeful. But when the video came out, I did not see myself in it. I was very unhappy and felt bad. But I did not fight anyone. I just let it go.
What’s the story behind the name “DJ Khalipha,” and what does it represent for you?
Khalipha came from me, and it came from fear. As I said earlier, I had a very strict father. I lost him two years ago due to a kidney issue. At that time, I knew he was not going to support me being a DJ. He always wanted me to become a soldier or an Alfa. In his mind, being a DJ meant you would end up in the wrong crowd, smoking, drinking, and all of that.
So convincing him was not easy. I had to be intentional about how I approached it. We had someone in the family, like an uncle, who was also a DJ. He was not into any of those things my dad feared, and that helped a bit. It made my dad see that DJing did not automatically mean a bad lifestyle.
When it was time to choose a name, I knew I had to be careful. I could not pick something that would make him reject the idea completely. At first, I thought about names like “DJ Firstborn” or “DJ Akobi,” since “Akobi” means firstborn in Yoruba. But I felt it sounded too local for the kind of global stage I was dreaming of.
At that time, I used to watch DJs like Marshmello and Black Coffee on YouTube. I liked how their names felt universal. So I started thinking of something that would fit that kind of vision and still make sense at home. Then I decided to look up the Arabic word for “firstborn” or “successor”. That was how I found “Khalipha,” which means “successor”, someone who comes after or takes over. When my dad heard the name, he liked it. He was proud of it. That was where the name came from.
You’ve described your sound as “Street House,” but it was initially tied to the term “Mara.” How did that evolution happen, and what led you to redefine the sound?
I came up with the name “Mara,” and I also named my sound “Street House.” At that time, when my song “Mara Pass Mara” started going viral, many other DJs began doing similar things. But they did not really understand the concept. They were just mashing up different songs to create something that could trend on TikTok.
So everywhere, people were just using the word “Mara.” It became very common. Because of that, digital stores started to see the word as a kind of cheat code for streams. Any song with “Mara” would get a lot of attention quickly. As a result, they started flagging the word. It even affected my own catalogue. Some of my releases were taken down at that time.
So I had to act fast. I re-uploaded my work and reached out to my distribution company to explain that “Mara” was not about manipulating streams. It was just the identity of my sound. But at that period, anything that looked like it could be linked to artificial streaming was being flagged. That was when I realized I needed to redefine the sound.
Around that time, I had started going to shows and events in Lagos, especially house music events. The house music community was more open to what I was doing, and they really paid attention to my sound. So I started thinking. We already have Afro-house and other forms of house music. I needed a name that would feel broader and more inclusive. “Mara” had started to sound too street to some people. But my goal was to create something that everyone could connect with, whether you are from the street or not. That was how I came up with “Street House.”
“Street” represents the raw, grassroots energy. “House” connects it to a global sound and a more structured musical culture. My production already had elements of house music, so it made sense. So “Street House” became the balance. The street and house music are coming together to create something new that everybody can relate to.
There’s been some association between your use of “Mara” and the late dancer Odogwu Mara. Was there any connection or influence there?
No, there was no connection at all. In fact, I only learned about him after he passed. Before then, I did not know him, and he did not know me. We never spoke, and there was no interaction between us. My beat was already named “Mara Pass Mara” before that time, so it was not influenced by him.
I did not even know if he had used my sound until after he died. So there is no link between my use of “Mara” and Odogwu Mara.
What inspired the name “Mara,” and what did it represent when you first created the sound?
I was looking for a word I could use instead of “Street beat.” At that time, when people were uploading those kinds of sounds, they usually tagged them as street beats or free beats. But I did not want to follow that pattern. I wanted something new and unique.
So I went online to look up synonyms for “street,” and that’s where I came across the word “Mara.” From what I saw then, it was described as something crazy. I liked that meaning because it matched the kind of sound I was creating at the time. That was how I started using “Mara beat.”
The funny thing is, I did not create it with dancers in mind. My goal was to make a street sound that people could listen to. It was more about listening than dancing. It just happened that dancers on TikTok were the first to really embrace it.
Who are the artistes or producers you think are genuinely driving Mara’s growth right now?
Regarding people contributing to Mara, the first person I would mention is Azzi OnTheBeat. He is doing well with it and also taking it to shows, performing it live. You can see that people are connecting with the sound through him.
Sometimes, DJ YK Mule taps into Mara. DJ Cora also taps into it occasionally. At some point, “Professional Beat” also tapped into it. But the thing is, a lot of people come into a sound because of the trend. Once the momentum drops, they move on to something else.
Right now, the people I can say are really holding it down consistently are myself and Azzi OnTheBeat. Normally, at this point, Mara could have faded out. But I did not want it to be something that trends for a short time and disappears. I want it to last. It is something we created, and I want to push it as far as it can go.
That’s on the production side. What about artistes? Who do you think is engaging with, or helping to push, the sound forward?
Artistes are contributing too. A lot of them are experimenting with new sounds beyond the usual Afrobeats. We have Rema and Seyi Vibez. I have also seen other artistes recently trying out sounds similar to Mara.
But the truth is, many of them are not exactly creating Mara. They are creating something close to it, maybe because of the tempo or the energy, and then calling it Mara. For now, Seyi Vibez and Rema are engaging with that space. But I am also working on some collaborations, and I believe when those come out, they will change how people see Mara. It is not just any collaboration. It is going to be something big.
Your new project is titled 23:03. What’s the story behind that name, and what headspace were you in while making it?
23:03 is my birthday, March 23. I was born on March 23, 1999. Every year since I started DJing, I usually drop something on my birthday, either a mixtape or a beat. But this time, I wanted to do something different. I wanted the title itself to reflect that date. That was how I came up with 23:03, representing March 23.
With the EP, I was also in a space where I wanted to experiment and try new things. So the project reflects that shift, both in the sound and in my creative approach.
Walk me through the creative process behind the EP. How do you build a project like that from scratch?
I built the EP from different situations and moods. If you listen to it, you will hear different sounds across the tracks. This time, I did not stick to just one style. I explored Afrobeats, three-step, Afro-funky, and Afro-emo. The three-step and some of the other tracks were me experimenting, trying to see if I could create other types of music while still keeping my identity.
One thing about me is that I am drawn to emotional sounds. I like anything that feels deep, sad, or trance-like. That is why you will hear elements like violin and flute in my beats. Those sounds help me bring out emotion. So with the three-step and Afrobeats-inspired tracks, I was trying to blend that emotional feeling into different styles.
For the Afro-funky side, I listen to a lot of music beyond my own. I like to research new sounds and understand what people are connecting with, then see how I can incorporate that into what I do. I had been listening to funk and liked its energy and vibe, so I imagined combining it with emotional elements and my usual rhythm. That was how I created the funky track.
For the Tech Mara sound, it is influenced by Afro-tech. I wanted to see how that style would sound when translated into Mara. I experimented with it, and it came out really well. Then “Evolve Mara” is more like a refined version of the original Mara sound. It is calmer, more structured, and more intentional. Everything I create comes from the moment. I do not always sit down with a fixed plan. The inspiration comes, and I build from there.
Some people still describe Mara as “noise.” How do you respond to that criticism, and what do you want new listeners to understand about the sound?
I saw a tweet on X where someone called Mara noise. Before I even got there, Azzi had already replied, trying to explain the sound. I did not blame the person, though. That is his perspective. And, to be honest, part of the problem is that many DJs are jumping into the sound without really understanding what we are trying to build. They are just doing it because it is trending. So in the process, they create something that even I, as a pioneer, might listen to and not feel good about.
That is why I did not take it personally. He probably heard one of those kinds of sounds. Another issue is that people do not understand the difference between Mara and regular street music. They mix both together. But they are not the same. Mara is an emotional sound. It blends feeling with fast percussion and rhythm. It is more arranged and more controlled. It is meant to keep you in a certain emotional space.
Street music is different. That one is more direct and raw. The energy is not the same. So when people hear both in the same setting, like at a show, they assume they are the same thing. When I saw the tweet, I wanted to reply, but I did not want it to come across as an attack on him. So instead, I posted one of my beats and told him to listen to it and tell me if it still sounded like noise. People in the comments started reacting to it, saying it was good, that it sounded different. So instead of explaining too much, I just let the music speak for itself.
Where do you see Mara in the next two to three years, both locally and internationally?
If things go as I plan, even this year, Mara should start changing how people see it. For me, the vision is not even Nigeria first. I believe that in Nigeria, we often do not fully value our own sounds until they are recognized outside before we start giving them real attention.
That is why I do not get too bothered if people are not using my sound on TikTok. What matters more to me is streams and international reach, because that is where I see most of my listeners coming from. I am already building connections outside the country.
I would rather have people outside Nigeria understand and accept it first. Once it gains global recognition, it naturally comes back home and is properly embraced. That has been the pattern with many things here. We have seen it with artistes like Wizkid and Davido. It was when they started getting international recognition that they were fully embraced as superstars locally.
That is the mindset I have carried into Mara. Last year, I performed at the Nyege Nyege Festival in Uganda. It was a big moment for me because I got to meet producers and creatives from different parts of the world, and they connected with the sound. I also met Skrillex there, and he played my “Mara Pass Mara.” After that, I got in touch with his team, and we had conversations about collaboration.
If everything goes well, I believe this year and beyond, things will start to align properly. I am also working with my team on more international performances. I should be travelling to places like Germany, Spain, and Portugal to perform and further introduce the sound.
The goal is global recognition. When different audiences, different artistes, and different spaces all connect with it at the same time, that is when it will really scale. Mara is on that path. It is similar to how Afrobeat grew, but it will take time and consistency. As long as the pioneers keep pushing and there is continued support, it will get there.